siegenthaler



l UNITED'. STATES PATENT OEEIOE.

GEORGE B.- sIEeENTHAnEn, OE woosrnn, OHIO.

SHOE.

,SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 249,410, dated November 8, 1%881.

` v Application tiled April 19, 1881. i (Model.)

To LZZ whom it may concern Be it; known that I, G. B. SIEGENTHALER,

of Wooster, in the county of Wayne and State of Ohio, have invented certain Improvements in Shoes, of which the following is a specification. l A

My invention consists in a shoe having side iiaps arranged .to close together at the front l over and upon a central tongue, and united by means of elastic straps or gores, having their ends inserted and concealed within the tlaps, the shoe being constructed with special reference to its easy application and removal, and to its being transformed into a laced or a strapped shoe at will.

` Shoes having elastic` gores inserted in their "sides have been made in a great variety of forms, but have in'practice been found subtrl ject to many serious objections.

The object of my invention is to provide a shoe which may be drawn'onand oifwith the same facility as the ordinarygaiter, but which shall present a much neater appearance, exclude water more eifectually, and withstand `wear to better advantage.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l repre-V sents a perspective view of my improved shoe -as it appears'when in use. Fig. 2 is a view showing the front ofthe shoedrawn open, as

in applying itto or removing it from the foot. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line x w, showing the manner in which the elastic goi'es are inserted and concealed.

A represents my shoe, havingits upper cut in substantiallythe same manner as for an ordinary laced shoe, with a central tongue, a,

and two side flaps, b b, arranged i to close together at the front over or outside of the tongue. The straps or gores, of elastic webbing or similar elasticmaterial, c c, lie transversely across the front of the shoe, uniting the two flaps b b, the ends of the elastic material being extended backward a considerabledistance within pockets formed in the side iiaps, and stitched or otherwise fastened at their ends thereto, as shown at d d. The pockets to receive the elastic material are formed be tween the inner andv outer surfaces of the iiaps, andthe connection is such that the elastic material may be extended freely, in order to permit the separation of the Vside flaps in drawing the shoe oft' or on the foot.

The shoe is provided, as shown, with two loops or straps, e and f, for drawing the same upon the foot, one being applied to the rear of the upper and the other to the top of the central tongue. It will be noticed that the elastic material is entirely or nearly concealed by the flaps' when the shoe is in its ordinary closed condition, as representedin Fig. 1, and that e flaps, drawn and held together by the elas ic material, vcompletely close the shoe, drawing the same down smoothly and snugly across the front ofthe foot. If at any time the elastic material should give way, or it should be desired to adapt the shoe for the use of lacing strings or straps, it is only necessary to re move the elastic material and provide the iiaps with straps or with eyelets, as preferred.,

' My improvement may be applied with equall facility to high and low shoes and to overshoes.

The exact form of thc'tlaps is not material, provided they are arranged to be drawn together at the front overI and upon a central tongue, and have the elastic materialint-ro duced into their edges in the manner shown.f

-The central tongue used in connection with the flaps and elastic gores is of special importance, inasmuch as it co-operates with the other parts in closing the front, and serves to prevent snow, water, &c., from finding their way into the shoe.

I am also aware that elastic straps have been inserted in the fronts ofI shoes in different forms, and my invention is limited to the 'construction and combination shown.

I am aware that elastic straps have been l closed against the entrance 'of snow, dust, central tongue, the side flaps havingpockets, 85C.- the elastic straps secured in the latter, and the .Having thus described my invention, what loops e and f, one of which is attached to the I claim istonguefor use in stretching said elastic straps I 5 i 5 l. As an improved article of manufacture, i and separating the aps, and thereby opening the shoe provided with the central tongue, a, the shoe to facilitate drawing it on the foot, the two side liaps, b, overlapping the tongue, as llereinbefore set forth.

and provided with the pockets, and the elas- GEORGE B. SIEGENTHALER. tic straps secured at their ends in the rearv Witnesses: 1o sides of the pockets. HIRAM B. SWARTZ,

2. The improved shoe provided with the i JAMES JOHNSON. 

